Page 46 of Lesson In Forgiveness

She twisted her fingers nervously, drawing his attention to the now clean wound on her wrist, and the slightly bruised joint of her thumb. She heaved a sigh. “I reacted to protect myself because even though you haven’t done anything to hurt me…”

He laid his hands over hers, stilling her restless fingers. Carefully, he turned her wrist over, frowning at the raw marks. “I’m still an unknown quantity.”

“Yes.”

Nodding, he growled softly, displeased his actions were the cause of her injuries. “I cuffed you to the bed so you couldn’t run away and get yourself into mischief; that’s on me. I should’ve had more trust in you. I took precautions to make sure if you woke and reacted badly, I’d be with you in seconds.” He skimmed his thumb over the main joint of her thumb. “Did you call for me when you were scared, Tabitha? Did you shout for me before you deliberately hurt yourself by dislocating your thumb?”

“It didn’t hurt that much,” she mumbled.

“Did you call for me, even once?” He already knew the answer—after all, he’d been listening for her the entire time.

“No,” she admitted sulkily.

“Why?”

“I’m not a princess who needs rescuing by a white knight, Grit. Never have been. Don’t you get it yet?” Her voice was hollow, empty. “I’m the villain in the story of everyone who crosses my path. The monster under the bed, the demon lurking in shadows. A nightmare.”

“One man’s nightmare is another man’s dream.”

Grit cupped her face, his heart swelling when she tilted her cheek into his palm. How lonely she must be with all those thoughts niggling at her, believing she was meant to be alone. Would she ever realize how much she had to offer the people in her life, the ones she kept close despite her insistence she loved no one and nothing?

She squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m sorry. Truly, Grit.”

“I figure a sore ass ought to be penance enough. But be warned, little tiger,” he added darkly, adding ominous depth to his tone, “the next time you throw anything at my head—deadly or not—I will get the biggest butt plug I can find, use it to pry open your tight little asshole, and wedge it so far inside you that you’ll taste the fucking metal. Am I making myself clear?”

Color leeched from her face as her bottom clenched; the resulting hiss of pain was immensely satisfying. However, it was the fire in her eyes when they popped open that got his cock hard.

“Let’s get one thing straight,” Tabitha snapped, her switch from contrite sub to defensive, almost hostile killer happening so quickly, he barely had time to blink. “Nothing goes near my ass. If any part of you comes near me there, I will slice it off in thin pieces and make you eat it. Tongue, fingers, cock, I don’t care, I will make sure you fucking choke on it.”

It wasn’t a surprise to find Dominic left no part of her unscathed. A man like that, who felt entitled to do what he’d done and take, take, take from innocent children wouldn’t think twice about violating her until she had nothing left.

“They hurt you,” Grit stated calmly, though it was difficult to keep his voice level. “Will you tell me how?”

Her shoulders hunched, ugly memories scrolling through her eyes like a muted movie, all shadows and darkness. “No.”

“Okay.” He nodded thoughtfully, dragging his lower lip between his teeth. “This is gonna be hard to hear, Tabby. I’m saying it anyway, because you need to know where I stand, and I’m not going to lie you.” Encouraging her to hold his gaze, he spoke quietly, firmly. “If you stick with me, stick with this, I’m going to touch you where and when I want. Not by force, not to hurt you.”

“Sex hurts,” she ground out between clenched teeth.

“You told me, I remember. Their way isn’t my way, little tiger. I don’t want to hear you scream as though I’m pulling your fingernails out. My favorite sound is the throaty, needy cries that vibrate in a woman’s throat as she comes.” Testing her, he leaned forward to rub his lips over her forehead. “The first time I ease a finger into your pussy, your ass, your brain is going to revolt. Memories of pain and torture will rain down on you because that’s what you’ve been taught to expect. It’s not unreasonable to expect you to claw, bite, kick… hell, do absolutely fucking anything to get away from me.”

“I-It’s not?”

“Of course not. Jesus Christ, Tabby, they put you through hell. Protecting yourself from going through that again is only natural.” Fuck, she made his heart ache. “Brave little tiger, you trusted me enough to start this journey. It’s my responsibility as your Dom to get you to wherever we’re going, with you feeling more at ease about yourself.”

“My ass is not on board with this plan.”

He chuckled softly, daring to brush his lips over her cheek this time. “Tabby, I really don’t think you have to worry about that right now. It might take me a year to actually touch your pussy without you freaking out.”

Mortification flushed her cheeks red. “A year’s a long time.”

“I’m starting to think I wouldn’t mind spending that much time with you.” At her startled expression, he shrugged and tugged on a lock of silky hair. “I’d be crazy to complain about having a stunning, beautifully complicated, weirdly adorable woman in my life. One predisposed to gouge my eyeballs out, no less.”

“I probably wouldn’t gouge them,” she admitted, a half-smile gracing her mouth. “I’m kind of obsessed with your eyes. Damaging them would pain me.”

Grit laughed. “Is my pretty face gonna save me from your wrath?”

“No, sorry. Once my bitch switch gets flipped, it’s mainly death and destruction until someone knocks me out.”

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